The fourth goal is data.
Data analysis, data warehousing, data-driven decisionmaking.
................................
I am in favor of data.
However, it's obvious that data is going to be misconstrued and misused, intentionally or not. Especially in the world of education, where there are few scientific standards for research, even fewer qualms about flinging around the words "research shows," we're going to need independent audits of data and citizen's oversight committees.
I don't trust Michael Bloomberg on NYC school data for a minute.
Matthew K: youth wants to know!
2005 math scores in NY state - test was easier than others
My biggest fear is that they figure out how to teach Everyday Math to increase test scores, even with an audit. Just like with NCLB, their definition of success is no success at all.
ReplyDeleteData won't change low expectations. You can use it to argue plus or minus the status quo, but it won't get them to change from Everyday Math to Singapore Math. Even if they did adopt Singapore Math, they would screw it up by not expecting grade-level mastery. Kids would still get to sixth grade without knowing their times table. They need a commitment to mastery starting in Kindergarten. That won't happen.
The head of a principal's group in our state wrote a big letter to the editor complaining about how politicians are meddling and not giving schools enough time. He said that they are the professionals and that politicians don't meddle with engineers, dentists or accountants. Of course, he completely ignored the fact that there is NO SCHOOL CHOICE! And, these other professionals can have their pants sued off of them.
I don't want to fight their fight. I shouldn't have to. I want school choice. It's the only way to provide real opportunities for ALL kids. I don't want to argue data. I want them to explain (for large school districts), why they can't provide a choice in math curriculua.
My biggest fear is that they figure out how to teach Everyday Math to increase test scores, even with an audit. Just like with NCLB, their definition of success is no success at all.
ReplyDeleteRight.
That is what has already occurred here.
Scores are up!
The 2005 rise in scores was timed perfectly to coincide with the first class of Irvington kids to have used Trailblazers in 3rd and 4th grades, making them the highest scoring kids ever on math in our district.
And, these other professionals can have their pants sued off of them.
ReplyDeleterighto
Fortunately we now know that parents can't have their pants sued off, either.
ReplyDeleteheh
I want them to explain (for large school districts), why they can't provide a choice in math curriculua.
ReplyDeleteI push choice, choice, choice.
Then more choice.
This is a core value for many Americans -- and people who think they should have choice in beers & iPod colors really don't get why they shouldn't have choice in curriculum, pedagogy, and schools once they look at it that way.
"choice" in phones has been a disaster.
ReplyDeletewhen there was a monopoly
(tightly regulated by the gov't)
the damn things worked
and *when* they failed,
you could easily get 'em fixed.
now? fuggedaboudit.
everybody knows this
though for some reason
nobody seems to want to talk about it.
probably there's some awareness
that something similar is likely
if schools are de-monopolized.
"choice" in phones has been a disaster.
ReplyDeletewhen there was a monopoly
(tightly regulated by the gov't)
the damn things worked
and *when* they failed,
you could easily get 'em fixed.
true
Those were great phones.
ReplyDeleteI miss them.
ReplyDeleteseriously
ReplyDeleteprobably there's some awareness
ReplyDeletethat something similar is likely
if schools are de-monopolized.
Well I was haranguing Ed on this very subject just the other morning -- though not in the direction you're suggesting, I presume.
Ed supports charters, but not vouchers. He supports vouchers for kids in city schools, not for kids in "high-performing" suburban schools.
We'd just had some new piece of edu-gunk come flying at us (can't even remember what it was now, just a couple of days later) and I was ticked off.
If you support charters alone, you are saying that kids who are freed from the autocracies that are our public schools must go to start-ups.
Start-ups are ALWAYS and everywhere problematic.
Some are brilliant; most are start-ups that will inevitably fail.
Vouchers give parents the (possible) option of sending their kids to schools with a track record.
Not that anyone can ever find out what that record is....
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, I have become a small-l libertarian in my old age, and there is nothing to be done about it.
ReplyDeleteI have no interest in saving the public schools.
The public schools do not wish to be saved, and won't be.
As far as I can tell, the only other option is choice, unless I'm missing something.
(Am I?)
What I really think -- I know you've been holding your breath -- is that the future lies with homeschoolers.
(I don't trust my judgment on policy issues, so this is sheer speculation.)
I'm guessing that the homeschool population will continue to grow, AND that the homeschool population will begin to develop its own institutions, from the ground up.
That is, homeschoolers will band together (as they are doing now), hire good teachers for individual classes of kids, perhaps set up "shell schools" that serve as agencies to match teachers with students....
I'm thinking things could go in that direction, and I'm also thinking that this direction could be significantly better than what we have now.
But I don't know.
I'm guessing that the homeschool population will continue to grow, AND that the homeschool population will begin to develop its own institutions, from the ground up.
ReplyDeleteLisa Van Damme is doing just that. She started out being a homeschool teacher tutoring one gifted child. She now has a school, "The Van Damme Academy".
http://www.vandammeacademy.com/
It's quite a curriculum from soup to nuts with a strong classical philosophy and teachers that seem to have credibility in what they teach.
I think you (and she) may be on to something.
"...the damn things worked
ReplyDeleteand *when* they failed,
you could easily get 'em fixed."
How many think that schools work?
I think it's more likely that many see public schools as a sacred cow, and they see vouchers as just some sort of right-wing or rich-person ploy. Many of the most fervent supporters of public education are the ones most willing and most able to make sure that their kids do well. We have some of them on our school board. Their kids do fine, so what's the problem?
Choice doesn't prevent anyone from going to the public school. If, however, the money ($15,000 per child) followed the child, there would be lots of excited parents. It would also create some small, but amazing schools - probably expanded from homeschoolers. There would also be a lot more examples of what is possible.
"But I don't know."
How could it get worse?
The money should, without doubt, follow the child. Just look at the countries that already have this type of education system in place. It just works.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that it creates competition. That's what I want... schools falling over themselves to teach my child.